


Family. Forever.

by TayTay4936



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Immortal Alec Lightwood, Immortal Husbands, Immortality discussions, Let Madzie and the Lightwood-Bane boys coexist, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2020-10-27 19:56:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20766086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TayTay4936/pseuds/TayTay4936
Summary: A series of connected one-shots looking at the lives of the Lightwood-Banes and what it truly means to be a family.





	1. Immortality Discussions

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first venture in writing for the Shadowhunters fandom, so please be kind. This basically follows show canon, but with the inclusion of the Lightwood-Bane children from the books. More tags to be added with each chapter.

The first time Rafe brought it up wasn’t long after he had been officially adopted. He had officially been a Lightwood-Bane for a little over a year.

“Daddy?” he asked, as he and Alec were leaving the Institute. “How come I’m not immortal?”

Alec stopped in his tracks, his eyes going wide. “What?” He turned to his son and saw his droopy, puppy dog eyes.

“Papa’s immortal. You’re immortal. Max is immortal. Why am I not immortal?”

“Um…well…you see…” Alec quickly texted Magnus, asking for a portal home. As the portal opened, Alec quickly shuffled his son in, hoping Magnus would be better at this conversation than he was.

Once they were home and Alec quickly explained to Magnus what happened, the two of them sat down with Rafe and explained. Rafe was able to understand that warlocks were immortal and that while most shadowhunters weren’t, his daddy had taken a magical potion like the ones his papa and his aunt make that made him immortal. Once the discussion was over, Rafe ran off to play with his brother while Magnus and Alec let out matching sighs of relief. Crisis averted.

That is, until two years later.

***

The whole family was preparing for Rafe’s birthday. There was a tangible excitement in the air. The night before the party, Rafe and Magnus were in the kitchen, working on dinner, when Magnus asked Rafe what he wanted most for his birthday. He and Alec, along with the rest of their extended family, had bought a ridiculous number of gifts for the boy, as they tended to do for every birthday either of the boys had.

“I want to be immortal.” With that, he went back to watching the bubbling sauce on the stove with excitement, oblivious to the shock on his father’s face.

“Rafe?” Magnus called gently. “You want to be immortal?”

Rafe turned around and realized that this was the time for the conversation he had been wanting to have with his parents for such a long time.

“I’m gonna go get your dad. We’ll meet you on the couch and talk, okay?”

Rafe silently nodded and headed for the living room as Magnus went to get Alec.

Once everyone was situated, Magnus took the lead.

“Rafe?” he began gently. “I told your dad what you told me about wanting to become immortal. Is that really true?”

The little boy nodded before bringing his hopeful eyes to meet his Papa’s. “More than anything.”

“Why do you want to be immortal?” Magnus continued. He’d be lying if he said that he hadn’t thought about this before, that he and Alec had never discussed it. He couldn’t think of anything better than having his husband and his boys with him forever, but this was obviously a major decision that needed to be seriously thought about.

“You and Daddy and Max…I can be with my family forever. Why wouldn’t I want that?”

Alec couldn’t help but let a small smile slip out. Magnus did his best to keep his in check.

“Yes, you’d be with us, but there are a lot of people, friends and family, that you would have to say goodbye to over time. Your grandparents, most of your aunts and uncles.” Magnus chose not to reveal that Izzy had come to him inquiring about the process of becoming immortal herself, but that was for another day.

“I know that, Papa. I know that. I know a lot of the people in my life, and a lot of the people I’ll meet, will eventually die. And that will be sad. Each time, it will be sad. But I’ll have you guys. I’ll have my parents and my brother. That’s worth it to me. Plus, I can look after their families after they’re gone.”

Magnus hid his chuckle well. That had been part of Alec’s argument too when he first brought up becoming immortal himself: Being able to look after generations of his family.

Alec and Magnus looked at each other, having a silent conversation they both understood perfectly, before turning back to their son.

“Okay, listen,” Alec began. “When you turn 18, you’ll be an adult. If at that time, you still want to become immortal,” he and Magnus locked eyes again. “we will make that happen. Okay?”

Rafe huffed, obviously displeased.

“Rafe,” Magnus cut in. “This is a serious, eternal commitment. If you aren’t willing to wait until you’re an appropriate age, then you’re not ready. But we promise, love. When you’re 18, we’ll revisit this, okay?”

“Okay,” the little boy sighed. With a hug and a kiss for both his parents, Rafe ran off in search of his brother.

Later that night, as they watched the boys play, Alec and Magnus couldn’t help but hope that Rafe would never change his mind.


	2. Hurtful Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I debated on posting this one, as it is definitely more angsty than the rest in this story, but it wouldn't leave me alone and I felt it was needed. I hope you enjoy.

They hadn’t seen it coming. At all.

It was a seemingly innocent argument. The kind all children have with their parents.

It was about doing something with his friends past his curfew, if Alec remembered right. The argument itself was a blur at this point.

Whatever the topic, he had been letting his husband handle it while he worked on dinner, until it unexpectedly escalated.

_“Why do I have to listen to you?” 10-year-old Rafe had yelled in an angry huff._

_“Because I am your father and-” Rafe quickly silenced Magnus._

_“You’re not my father!”_

_Both men were so caught off guard, frozen in shock, they weren’t able to prepare themselves for what came next._

_“You’re just a dirty downworlder-”_

_“HEY!” Those words brought Alec back to himself. And he was livid. “You go to your room. Right. Now.” He had never used such a deadly growl with one of his children. He never thought he would have to._

_As Rafe stomped his way up to his room, Alec’s focus was on his husband, who stood silently, shaking._

_“Magnus?” He came around to face his husband, rubbing his back gently. “He didn’t mean that. He’s just a kid. He’s frustrated. He loves you. You know that.”_

_Magnus brought his eyes to meet those of his husband, and Alec valiantly held back a whimper upon seeing the tears in his love’s eyes. “What did I do?” he asked brokenly. “What did I do to make him-”_

_“No. No.” Alec quickly took him into his arms, unwilling to let Magnus take any blame onto himself for this, even for a second. “Magnus, my love, you did nothing wrong. I don’t know where he got those thoughts, but we’ll figure it out. But you have to know that he didn’t mean them. He couldn’t.” Alec was hoping with all his might that he wasn’t wrong._

_Sooner than he would have liked, he felt Magnus pull away._

_“I’m gonna go for a walk.”_

_“Magnus…”_

_“It’s okay, Alexander.” He wouldn’t meet the other man’s eyes. “I just need…I just need some air. I’ll be back. I promise.” With that, Magnus exited the apartment and Alec was left at a loss until he heard whimpering across the room._

_He looked over and his heart shattered into even more pieces as he saw his younger son curled against the wall in the corner, tears streaming down his face._

_“Max…” he whispered before rushing over and kneeling before the boy, taking him into his arms._

_“Why does Rafe hate us, Daddy?”_

_At those words, Alec’s resolve crumbled and his tears began to fall. He scooped Max up into his arms and carried him to his room, doing his best to reassure him the whole way._

***

Rafe woke with a start. He had fallen asleep after he was sent to his room, having exhausted himself with his frustration. Once he remembered what led him to going to his room in the first place, his eyes welled with tears. He couldn’t believe he had said those things. And to his papa! His hero! He knew those shadowhunters at school were bad news. He should have listened to his heart and his gut. Wasn’t that what his parents were always telling him?

He looked at the clock. He had been asleep for 4 whole hours. He stumbled out of bed and rushed down the stairs, hoping his papa was still awake so he could apologize. As many times as he needed to.

When he got downstairs, however, there was an odd feeling in the air.

The house was deadly quiet, and the only person Rafe could find was his dad, sitting motionless on the couch, his phone clutched in his hand.

“Dad?” he asked hesitantly as he approached. “Where’s Papa?”

“Out.” Alec’s voice was short and flat. “He needed to take a walk after…”

Rafe closed his eyes in anguish. “I’m sorry, Dad, I-”

“Oh, are you sorry?”

Rafe was shocked by his father’s face. His eyes were bloodshot. He looked both furious and heartbroken at the same time.

“Because I just spent the last couple hours holding my crying son, having to explain that his brother doesn’t hate him, even though he thinks he does.”

Rafe gasped as tears came to his eyes. He hadn’t even thought of Max being home and hearing him.

“I’m so sorry, Dad. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not the one you need to be saying that to. Save that for your papa. That is, if you still even consider him your papa,” Alec scoffed frustratedly.

“Of course he is!” Rafe was full-on sobbing now. “Of course he’s my papa! I’m so sorry. I didn’t…I didn’t mean it! Kids at school have been saying things, and I was mad, but I didn’t mean any of it, Dad, you have to believe me!”

Alec sighed and opened his arms.

“Come here, baby.”

Not needing to be told twice, Rafe ran into his father’s arms, crying his eyes out into his shoulder as his dad soothed him.

Once he had calmed down some, Rafe explained about the kids at school, about the things their parents had been telling them about warlocks, about all downworlders. He did his best to explain that he knew what they were saying wasn’t true, but they kept saying the same things, and then tonight, he was mad, and he made the mistake of saying the thing he knew would hurt his papa the most, no matter how much he didn’t mean it.

Alec listened to it all, nodding along and soothing the distraught boy. He told him about the talk he had had to have with Max, how he explained that sometimes when people are angry, they say the things they know will most hurt those they love.

Rafe cried harder, knowing that was exactly what he had done.

“Max is my best friend. He’s the best brother I could ever ask for. And Papa…Papa’s everything! I need to tell them I’m sorry.”

Alec nodded, the first genuine, if small, smile coming to his face since this whole thing started.

“Yes, you do. But your brother is sleeping and your father is out walking.” This brought Alec back to his earlier worries, as his husband had been gone quite a long time. His son echoed his worried thoughts.

“Papa’s been gone a long time…are you sure he’s okay?” Alec rubbed his son’s back, trying his best to sound reassuring. “I think so.”

It was another 30 minutes later when his phone finally rang.

“Magnus?” he asked instantly without looking at the caller ID.

“Alec, it’s me. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to call.” Catarina’s voice sent chills down Alec’s spine.

“What’s wrong? Where’s Magnus?” he asked quickly, his back instantly straightening.

“He was attacked by a few Shax demons. Since he was alone, they were able to overpower him. He’s at the infirmary. He’ll be okay, but it’ll take some time to get the poison out of his system.”

“I’m on my way,” Alec cut in before hanging up. He turned to find his son once again with tears in his eyes, his face the picture of worry.

“What’s wrong with Papa? Where is he?” he asked brokenly.

Alec rubbed Rafe’s back, giving the briefest of explanations before getting himself together.

“He’s been hurt, but he’ll be okay. He’s at the infirmary now with your Aunt Cat. I’m gonna call your Aunt Izzy to watch you while I go to the infirmary.” He was beyond grateful that Izzy happened to be in Alicante this week.

“No!” Rafe cried. “Take me with you!”

Alec shook his head. “I can’t do that. It’s not a safe place for kids, and it’s the middle of the night. I’ll make sure to keep you guys updated, though. I promise.”

“No!” the boy cried. “I have to be there! I have to apologize!”

Alec’s face took on a soft, understanding look as he pulled his son into a hug.

“Rafael. Your father loves you, no matter what. No matter what you ever do or what you ever say. He knows.”

Izzy, along with Simon, came quickly once called and Alec was then off to the infirmary, doing his best to focus on the positive aspects of Catarina’s words, that his husband would be okay. 

***

He arrived at the infirmary, quickly locating Catarina and pulling her into a tight hug.

“Thank you,” he whispered into her shoulder. She nodded, holding him tightly before pulling back.

“Everything looks promising. He should be waking from the sedatives shortly. Once the poison is officially out of his system, I’ll be able to heal him completely.”

Alec nodded his understanding and with that, he was guided to his husband’s room.

Upon entry, he noticed how unnaturally still and pale Magnus was. He had to actively keep telling himself that Magnus was sedated. The constant beep of the machine next to his love was solid proof that he hadn’t lost him.

He pulled the empty seat in the room right up to the bed, taking Magnus’ hand in both of his.

“Magnus, I am so sorry. I’m so sorry, my love. I shouldn’t have let you go out on your own when you were so upset. And I should have been paying more attention to who Rafe has been hanging out with at school.”

“Not your fault,” he heard mumbled through a rough voice.

“Magnus?”

He watched as those beautiful, unglamoured cat eyes slowly opened. “Hey,” he called gently, stroking the face of his love with his hand.

“Hey. Sorry I worried you.”

“Hey, no, none of that.” He slid his hand back into the luscious black hair as he slid further up in his chair, attempting to get as close to Magnus as possible.

“Well, if I can’t apologize, you can’t either.”

Alec chuckled at his husband’s attempt to lighten the mood.

After Magnus had been checked over by Catarina and ordered to rest until the poison had fully left his system, the two husbands were curled around each other in the much too small bed, Alec telling Magnus of his talk with Rafe.

“I’m hunting down every single one of those kids’ parents. And the teachers too. They had to have heard talk like that going around. They should have shut that shit down at the first inkling of something like that.”

“Easy, Alexander,” Magnus murmured, stroking the younger man’s hair before pressing a soft kiss to the strands. “It’s okay.”

“No, it is _not_.” Alec was adamant as he turned to lock eyes with his husband. “Any talk like that is not okay and needs to be stopped. I’ll be damned if I let arrogant shadowhunters think they can get away with badmouthing downworlders. What kind of a husband or father would I be if I let someone speak ill of you or Max?”

Magnus couldn’t keep the adoring look from his face.

“You, Alexander Gideon Lightwood-Bane, are a marvel. A true beautiful, loving, one of a kind marvel.”

Alec offered a soft, adoring smile in response. “I just love you.”

He brought his lips up for a kiss before Magnus replied. “I love you too, Alexander.” 

***

The two men were woken early the next morning by familiar voices, clearly operating at a mile a minute, before their room was entered by two hyperactive boys, Izzy exhaustedly following behind.

“The boys were beside themselves and demanded they come as soon as possible this morning to make sure you were alright.” She directed her words at Magnus.

With his husband’s help, Magnus sat up in the bed, still sore from the day before, but definitely noticing improvement.

“I’m okay.” Both boys noticed his grimace as he attempted to turn himself. “Still a bit achy, but I’m okay.”

That was enough for Max, who made a dash for the bed. He was lifted up by Alec, who advised him to be careful with his papa, as he was still healing.

As he held his youngest son to his chest, Magnus looked over the boy’s head at his oldest, who stood anxiously, tears forming in his eyes as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

“Rafe,” Magnus called gently, “come here, sweetheart.”

That was all the boy needed, as he quickly sprinted to Magnus’ side of the bed, careful as he climbed up, but then threw himself at his father, wrapping his arms around his neck as he sobbed.

“I’m so sorry, Papa. I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean it! I love you so much!”

“Shhh,” Magnus soothed, stroking the boy’s hair. “I know you didn’t, my love. I know you didn’t. It’s okay now. Shhh.”

They talked about the kids at school, about the argument they had. Rafe apologized over and over again to everyone in the bed, including his brother, who he had apologized to profusely the night before as well as that morning, and they all talked about hurtful words, love, and forgiveness.

As the family drifted off for a short nap, Izzy and Simon watched on, smiles on their faces.


End file.
